The boy's lip twitched in annoyance at the incoming interference, yet just before he could pull his arrow, his body stiffened as his eyes caught sight of a tuff of blond shinning hair.
In no time a long blond-haired woman wearing a white and black maid gown climbed up to the deck and walked to the boy's side and with a short bow spoke
"Lord Don, your mother sent me to personally bring you down to the lower deck," the woman said her face turning a little red when she saw the boy's expression harden, yet when he gave her no reply after a few seconds, she was forced to speak once more.
"Why don't you release that arrow and then we leave" she suggested her words seeming to resuscitate the boy as he nodded his head and raised his arrow a second later.
At that moment, the boy's heart beat faster than before, a sudden invisible weight resting on his shoulders as his mind screamed for success, and in response to this weighty feelings, the boy began taking calm breaths.
He could afford to miss the other times, but not this time. Though the woman beside him was just his maid, her rank even lower than that of built man beside him, he valued her thoughts far too much to afford to blunder in front of her.
Having much at stake, the boy kept at his breaths calm, indulging himself in the gentle wind that caressed his face, not minding the air of impatience that the woman beside him unknowingly gave off as he took his time, and with then without warning, he let the arrow go.
Like that arrow carried all of his fortunes, his eyes followed its every movement, a smile claiming the boy's face as the arrow soared through the air, made a curve and then finally lodged itself into the second ring of the archery target board.
"Kruxe you did it" a sharp soft voice accompanied by several claps come from beside the boy all from the blond hair woman whose dimpled smile melted Kruxe's heart, yet before any further feelings could bloom, another set of thumps sounded on the stairs.
The multitude of thumps more than said out loud that there was more than one person climbing up, and hearing the soft and heavy rhythms of the footsteps Kruxe was immediately alerted to the identities of the incoming persons.
In no time, two women ascended the stairs, one walking in front and another following behind.
The woman behind had long red hair, which fell to her shoulders, her dark eyes glistened with brightness and vitality, while her red lips were alluring and looking to entrance anyone foolish enough to Stare at them.
Looking just at this woman's face, any man would feel the need to run up to her and try to swoon her into their beds for all eternity, but one look at her lbody would have them tucking their arms between their legs like obedient puppies.
Standing just above average height, the thick spiky silver armor that adorned the woman's body was an intimidating sight, and though the woman had a beautiful face, the scowl which she kept on her face most of the time easily kept every man's thought straight when they looked at her.
The woman's name was Cletina, Kruxe's mother's sworn guard.
As for the woman in front, though she took short and seemingly unsteady steps, just a look at how the man and woman beside Kruxe rapidly opened up a path for her maintaining a deep bow as she passed, one could guess that her status was very high.
The woman had luscious long blood red hair that went just past her shoulders, falling on her back and covering the entire right side of her face, making her a figure that was sure to pull attention no matter where she went, but that was not enough as her one red eye made for an enchantment that no man could resist.
Already having such features, anyone would feel a mighty temptation to see what her nose and lips looked like, but unfortunately, they would never have that chance as both the woman's nose and mouth were hidden behind a white gas mask.
"Mom," Kruxe said, quickly walking up to the woman, worry on his face.
"I was just about to come down, why did you came up here, it's cold, you'll get sick" he worriedly said.
"Stop speaking to me like I'm a person at death's door" the woman's muffled voice sounded, and with a snort, she turned up her nose and walked past him, stopping at the edge of the deck and looking at the target board all the way at the front to the ship.
"Rita" she called.
"Yes lady Amelia" the voice of the blond-haired maid sounded as she quickly walked toward the woman wearing a gas mask.
"Did Kruxe do that?" Amelia asked pointing at the one and only arrow which was now embedded in the target board.
"Yes, just after I came up" Rita excitedly answered, her words causing Amelia to hum, and then a second later she rapidly turned and faced a started Kruxe
"You didn't tell me you've gotten this good" she said, and though her smile could not be seen, the joy in her left eye was clear for all to see.
"Mom it was just a…" Kruxe started but never got to finish his words, as his mother suddenly grabbed him by his right arm and pulled him forward.
Not wanting to burden or stress, his mother, Kruxe let himself be easily dragged by her, and though he noticed the mischievous twinkle in her eyes, he could only let her have her way with him.
"Alright shoot another arrow, I want to see you hit the board," Amelia said with a cheerful though muffled tone.
"Mom I'm not that good yet, I can't hit the board on demand" Kruxe complained.
"But you hit the board for her right," Amelia said pointing her thumb and Rita who was behind them.
"huh" Kruxe could only dumbly say, not really knowing how to answer the question considering his mother's words were true, but before he could go putting his poor brain through the grind, his mother spoke once more.
"Since you hit the board for her, then I think it's only fair that you hit for me, or don't you care what I think of you," Amelia said, pitifully blinking her one visible eye at her son and sending him down the abyss of hell.
"Fine I'll do it again," Kruxe said, turning toward the target board and raising his bow which had his arrow already nocked and prepared to fire.